Are you an aspiring writer in need of practical advice from other writers? Here, I review my favorite books on writing and let you know what’s special about each, how it helped me, and how it might help you. Learn about writers’ approaches, methods, and passion for the art of revealing stories. Find the best book for your urgent questions. ~ ~ Susan E. Koenig
Featured book: Brande, Dorothea, Becoming a Writer, New York, Penguin Putnam Inc., 1981 (Reprint of the original publication, New York, Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1934.) What this book meant to me as a writer: Becoming a Writer stands apart in its focus on the writer’s transition from self-doubt to self-reliance. Dorothea Brande says many students […]
Featured book: Lubbock, Percy, The Craft of Fiction, London, Jonathan Cape, 1921. What this book meant to me as a writer: My reaction to The Craft of Fiction is mixed. Lubbock’s work is a tough read, published in 1921 in a verbose analytic voice. Even so, I found timeless wisdom here and there, enough to […]
Featured book: Forster, E. M., Aspects of the Novel, San Diego, New York, and London, Harcourt, Inc., 1955. (Original publication 1927) What this book meant to me as a writer: Forster’s classic book, Aspects of the Novel, has been quoted in many writing guides. The first time I picked it up, I was heart weary […]
Featured book: Paretsky, Sara, Writing in an Age of Silence, London and New York, Verso, 2007. What this book meant to me as a writer: Five years after 9/11, with the Patriot Act and recently formed Department of Homeland Security running full tilt, Sara Paretsky, author of the V I Warshawski detective series, wrote a […]
Featured book: Shulevitz, Uri, Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books, New York, Watson-Guptill Publications, 1985. What this book meant to me as a writer: An artist friend, Vickey Fuqua, asked if I knew of any guides for illustrating children’s books. Vickey’s artwork includes water colors, designs for fabrics, posters for children’s […]
Featured book: Pipher, Mary, Writing to Change the World, New York, Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2006. What this book meant to me as a new writer: Writing to Change the World is a guide for writers who want to connect with readers on cultural and political issues. Mary Pipher’s intended […]
Featured book: Goldberg, Natalie, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, Boulder, Shambhala Publications, Inc., 2016. (Original publication 1986) What this book meant to me as a new writer: Are your children wild for something to do? When my son was young, we moved and didn’t know anyone, a situation much like today’s epidemic-imposed […]
Featured book: Maass, Donald, The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface, Writer’s Digest Books, 2016. What this book meant to me as a writer: Are you frustrated when you hear “show don’t tell,” “we want a visceral reaction,” and similar admonishments we writers give each other? If you want […]
Featured book: Lamott, Anne, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, New York, Pantheon Books, 1994. You may know of this time-honored advice for beginning writers. The book appears on reading lists for many writing conferences and courses. You can find Bird by Bird in hard-copy or e-book from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, […]
Featured book: Writers [on Writing]: More Collected Essays from The New York Times; Introduction by Jane Smiley, 2003 Times Books, Henry Holt and Company, New York (Vol. II). Last month, in the first installment of this series about books on writing, I reviewed The New York Times initial collection of forty-six essays by noted authors. […]
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